Car-coupling



(No Model.)

7 s. J. FREEMAN.

GAR OOUPLING. No. 412,492. Patented 001;. 8,1889.

z i run WITNESSES:

IIV VEIVTOR ATTORNEY N. 'PEYEns Phnlnljthognpher. wwi n nnnnn c.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SIMON J FREEMAN, OF BRADFORD, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 412,492, dated. October 8, 1889.

Application filed February 16, 1889- Serial No. 300,114. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SIMON J. FREEMAN, of Bradford, in the county of McKean and State of Pennsylvania, have, invented a new and Improved Oar-Coupling, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

. The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved oar-coupling which is simple and durable in construction, eifective in operation, and automatic in coupling.

The invention consists in certain parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be fully described hereinafter, and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a partof this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a plan view of two couplings with parts in section and in .a coupled position. I Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same with parts in section and one hook raised, and Fig. 3 is a front view of the improvement as applied to the car.

The draw-bar A is held in the usual manner on the car, and is provided on its front end with lugs 13 B, through which passes transversely a pin 0, forming a pivot for a lug D of a hook E. The lug D projects between the two lugs B B of the draw-bar, and has its inner edge straight, so that the hook E is prevented from swinging downward, and is consequently held in a horizontal position, unless moved upward by the operator, as hereinafter more fully described. The top of the lug D is rounded oif onto the rear edge, as is plainly shown in Fig. 2, soas to permit an upward swinging motion of the hook E.

The front end of the hook E carries the hook part F, adapted to engage a corresponding hook part on the hook E of the opposite coupling, as is plainly shown in Fig. 1. The rear edges E of the hook E are preferably inclined, as is plainly shown in Fig. 2, and engage correspondinglydnclined front edges B, formed on the lugs B of the draw-bar. This arrangement holds the hook E in a horisition shown in Fig. 2.

zontal position, in addition to the means previously described.

On the hook part Fof the hookE is secured an eye G, connected with one end of a chain H, extending upward and wound on a transverse shaft I, mounted to turn in suitable bearings on the front end of the car to which the coupling is applied. The shaft I extends transversely to the sides of the car, and is provided at each end with a convenient handle J, for turning the said shaft to uncouple the hooks.

From one of the lugs B of the draw-bar A extends horizontally and sidewise a lug K, on

which is fulcrumed a lever L, having a forwardly-proj ecting end L, and having its rear end pressed outward by a spring N, secured to the draw-bar K. The spring N holds the lever L in such aposition that when the hook parts F of the hooks E are engaged said outer ends L press against the opposite hooks, so as to hold them in contact with each other. When the two hooks are in a horizontal position and the cars are moved toward each other, the rounded-off hook ends F slide over each other against the ends L of the levers L, so that the latter are pressed outward, being yielding on account of the springs N, until the hook parts F have engaged each other, as shown in Fig. 1, being pressed inward by the said yielding or spring-pressed levers L.

When the operator desires to uncouple the cars, he raises one of the hooks Einto the po- The hook partsF are then disengaged from each other. Any suitable meansmay be employed for raising the hooks E, so as to obviate the necessity of the operator stepping between the cars.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and-desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-' l. A car-coupler comprising the draw-bar A, the horizontal hook E, pivoted to swing vertically on the front end of said draw-bar,

the lever L, pivoted to the side of the draw bar to swing at right angles to the hook E, and having its front end L projecting for wardly alongside the hooked end F thereof, from the hooked end of said coupling-hook, and a spring pressing the rear end of the said said lever and hooked end being independ- I0 lever outward, substantially as set forth. ent one of the other, substantially as set forth. 2. The combination with a draw-bar hav- T T 5 ing horizontal coupling-hook on its front end SIMOL FREElv pivoted to swing vertically only, of a spring- Witnesses: pressed lever pivoted on the side of the JOHN BARRY,

draw-bar to swing horizontally toward and JAMES GEORGE. 

